Ingredients
Scale
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- ¼ cup molasses
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar (packed)
For Rolling:
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Prep Your Oven: Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. This ensures your cookies bake evenly and don’t stick to the pan.
- Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Set this aside for later. It’s essential to mix the dry ingredients well to distribute the spices evenly throughout the cookies.
- Cream the Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together using a mixer for about 2-3 minutes, until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. This step creates the foundation for soft and tender cookies. Add the egg and mix well, then incorporate the molasses and dark brown sugar. Beat until everything is fully combined.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix just until combined. Be careful not to over-mix the dough, as this can make the cookies tough rather than soft and chewy.
- Shape and Roll the Dough: Scoop out about 1 ½ tablespoons of dough and roll it into a ball. Then, roll each dough ball in the granulated sugar, ensuring they’re evenly coated. Place them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between each cookie for spreading.
- Bake to Perfection: Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until the tops are cracked and the edges are set. The centers should still be soft and chewy. This gives the cookies their classic molasses cookie texture. Let them cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Avoid over-baking: If you want a soft, chewy texture, take the cookies out when the edges are set but the centers are still soft. They will firm up as they cool.
- Use room temperature ingredients: Let your butter and egg come to room temperature before starting. This ensures smooth mixing and a consistent texture.
- Add a bit of crunch: If you like a little contrast, you can sprinkle some coarse sugar on top of the cookies before baking for a delightful crunch.
- Storing the dough: If you’re not baking all the dough at once, you can refrigerate it for up to 2 days. Just be sure to bring it to room temperature before baking.
- Freezing the dough: You can also freeze the dough for up to 3 months. Roll the dough into balls and freeze them on a baking sheet before transferring them to a freezer bag. When you’re ready to bake, roll the frozen dough balls in sugar and bake directly from frozen, adding an extra minute or two to the bake time.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150kcal
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 21g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
Keywords: Soft molasses cookies recipe, Chewy molasses cookies, Easy molasses cookies